In addition to having a renovated new look and a brand new owner, the old theatre still retains a part of its past – most notably a couple of spirits that are said to have been hanging around the building for years. When they did, the old building smelled of decay was filled with trash, and water seeped from the walls, floors, and ceilings.įor the next 14 months, the Hills renovated the building, restoring much of it to its original 1932 façade and revamping the front portion of the building to utilize as offices. Though the site was ideal, Hill and his wife, Sunshine, thought long and hard before purchasing the dilapidated property near the historic Cherry Street district. Hill was looking for a midtown location for his law office. Over the next decade, the aging building changed hands several times and was utilized for several purposes, including a church, a nightclub, and a recording studio.īy 2004, the 10,000 square-foot building had fallen into serious disrepair and suffered criminal neglect. The old theatre building sat vacant for the next two years until it finally sold. More than a decade later, in 1989, the group had outgrown their building and moved to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, where it continues to be the resident company of the facility.
but remained in the art nouveau location. In 1974, the troupe changed its name to Theatre Tulsa, Inc. Though the fire destroyed much of the upstairs property, the theatre persevered.
Just a year later, the theatre suffered yet another blaze during the production of South Pacific. In 1965, the theatre suffered a fire after its third performance of The Women, destroying stage props, furniture, and costumes. Over the years, the theater hosted hundreds of plays and entertainment events as it went through multiple directors and saw actors come and go. During the 1930s and ’40s, the Delaware Playhouse, as it became known, was the epicenter of Tulsa’s arts and entertainment scene. East Lynne, the first production at their new location, was performed in a tent.ĭespite the Great Depression, the Tulsa Little Theatre continued its performances and, in 1932, completed its permanent building. In 1929, the Little Theatre purchased the property at 15th and Delaware, it’s home for the next 60 years. By 1925, the Little Theatre group numbered over 300 members and performed at the Alhambra Theater at 15th and Peoria. Workshops were held in the storage room of Palace Clothiers, which later became the location of the Ritz Theater.
#Little theatre on the square movie#
However, they were undeterred, maintaining that “the show must go on” in any place they could find – large canvas tents, movie theaters, and even at the American Legion before they finally found built their permanent home at 15th and Delaware. In the beginning, the Little Theatre troupe had no permanent location when it started offering productions in 1922. Our loyal audience was there with us, leaving notes on YouTube that they were delighted to see some of their favorite actors – like a visit with an old friend.Įven though VLT is now able to have in-person performances again, we will be keeping the Virtual Little Theater going, expanding the possibilities for creative outlets and VLT’s reach beyond our local audiences.The Tulsa Little Theatre, located in an unassuming brick building at 15th and Delaware Streets in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is not only steeped in history but is also said to be home to several unearthly guests.īuilt in 1932 by the Tulsa Little Theatre group, in an extremely plain art nouveau design, the first show produced in their new building was the Cradle Song. And it turned out that some of VLT’s technical crew were experienced videographers, and more stylized productions could be made. Writers wrote for the new medium, directors created new ways for characters to relate to each other while not even in the same room, and in one instance, not even in the same country.
#Little theatre on the square how to#
These theatre folks learned Zoom, and how to adapt to performing in a 2-inch square, as opposed to a full stage. VLT member, Russell Dyball, sent out the idea of creating online content that could be presented through the VLT YouTube channel, and people jumped at the chance. When it became clear that in-person performances would not be impossible for an extended period of time, the actors, directors, and writers at VLT started looking for a creative outlet. VLT’s Virtual Little Theatre was born out of necessity during the Covid shutdown.
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